264 HABITS OF BLACK-THBOATED GRAT WAEBLER 



the bill to the side of the neck. Wings fuscoas, with much whitish edging, 

 and crossed with two broad white bars on the ends of the greater and median 

 coverts. Tail like the wings, the three lateral feathers mostly white, except 

 on the outer webs, the fourth with a white blotch. Bill and feet black. 

 Size of the last. 



9 : Like the male, but the black of the crown mixed with the ashy of the 

 back, and that of the throat veiled with white tips of the feathers. 



Young : Like the 9 , but the crown almost entirely like the back, and the 

 black of the throat still more hidden. Back not streaked. Less white on 

 the tail. Bill not entirely black. 



This species varies bnt little, and chiefly in the intensity and purity of the 

 black of the fore parts. Autumnal specimens of either sex are found in 

 every stage between the extremes above described. In very immature birds, 

 the back has sometimes a slight brownish cast. The curious little yellow 

 spot appears at a very early age ; I have never seen it wanting. The fledg- 

 ling stage I have not seen, nor does it appear to be known. 



H 



ERE is the third Dendrceca discovered by the indefatiga- 

 ble travellers of whom mention has been made in speaking 

 of the two preceding species. Townsend 

 gives it as abundant in the forests of the 

 Columbia, where he says that it remains 

 until very late in the fall, and builds a 

 nest of fibrous green moss suspended be- 

 tween two small twigs among the upper 

 branches of the oak. Nuttall states that 

 rg. 34.— Black-throated Gray it is sccu to arrive in the same region early 

 Warbler. .^^ May, and infers that it breeds there 



from the character of the notes that he heard it utter. " On 

 the 23d of May," he continues, " I had the satisfaction of heark- 

 ening to the delicate but monotonous song of this bird, as he 

 busily and intently searched every leafy bough and expanding 

 bud for larvse and insects in a spreading oak, from whence he 

 delivered his solitary note. Sometimes he remained a minute 

 or two stationary, but more generally continued his quest for 

 X)rey. His song, at short and regular intervals, seemed like 

 H shee H shay t shaitshee, varying the feeble sound very little, and 

 with the concluding note somewhat slenderly and plaintively 

 raised." 



It was a good many years before we heard of this Warbler 

 again. Meanwhile, the systematists were busy with its name, 

 much as usual, bandying the bird about from one genus to 

 another, but adding nothing whatever to our real knowledge. 

 Drs. Cooper and Suckley met with it in the original locality, or 

 at least in the same general area, and the latter notes that it 



